Influence of environmental cues on transcriptional regulation of foo and clp coding for F165(1) and CS31A adhesins in Escherichia coli

F165(1) (foo) and CS31A (clp) are bacterial adhesins synthesized by Escherichia coli strains associated with diarrhea and septicemia in piglets and calves. They belong to the P-regulatory family and as such are subject to a phase variation control mediated by Lrp (leucine responsive regulatory protein) and regulators homologous to PapI. Analysis of expression of transcriptional fusions between the fooB or fooI promoters and lacZ showed that Lrp is an activator of foo and fooI transcription, whereas it represses clp transcription. Furthermore, foo phase variation leads to a large majority of phase-ON cells, whereas clp phase variation leads to a majority of phase-OFF cells. We compared the influence of several environmental cues on foo and clp expression, with special attention to the effects of leucine and alanine known to be mediated by Lrp. Inhibition or significant repression of foo and clp transcription was observed at low temperature, in LB medium, and in the presence of glucose, alanine, or leucine. Glucose repression of foo but not of clp was totally relieved by addition of cAMP. Osmolarity and pH had little effect. Alanine but not leucine, and LB medium inhibited foo and clp phase variation, locking cells in the OFF phase. Low temperature inhibited clp phase variation and altered the switch frequency of foo phase variation, leading to more phase-OFF cells. Glucose altered the phase variation of both operons, increasing the number of phase-OFF cells in the population. The regulation pattern of foo and clp is consistent with F165(1) and CS31A production in low nutrient environments, even at moderately acidic pH or high osmolarity.